Syrskyi Says Russia Has 721,300 Troops in Ukraine, Plans 33,000 Daily FPV Drones

Russia’s offensive grouping in Ukraine now numbers 721,300 troops, while Moscow is preparing to deploy 33,000 FPV drones every day, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported, according to The Times on June 26.

The Times highlighted that Syrskyi’s strategy centers on exhausting Russia faster than Moscow can replace its losses.

Since January 2026, Ukrainian forces have killed or wounded more than 183,500 Russian troops, while drone warfare has become central to Ukraine’s defensive and strike operations.

Syrskyi’s remarks point to a further escalation in the drone war, where FPV systems increasingly determine infantry survival, logistics, and assault tempo. Earlier this month, he reported that Ukraine held a 1.5-to-1 advantage over Russia in FPV drones, with the gap widening.

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War in Ukraine

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Ukraine has also reported a rapid increase in verified drone strikes. In May, Ukrainian unmanned systems hit nearly 180,000 confirmed Russian targets, including drone-operator positions, Shahed-type drones, personnel, and equipment.

The scale of the deployment sits against a harder reality for Moscow. Russia's winter-spring offensive stalled despite a sharp rise in assaults, and a new wave of mobilization has been weighed to offset mounting battlefield losses.

In May, Russian forces launched more than 7,000 assault operations—a 37.5% jump—yet seized only about 14 square kilometers, the weakest result since the campaign began in October 2023.

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